Latest: Macron urges Abbas to help restore ‘calm’

JERUSALEM – The latest on harrowing battles between Israel and the militant rulers of Hamas in Gaza (all times locally):

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PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the latest conflicts in the Middle East and said he would soon hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as other regional leaders.

A statement from Macron’s office on Thursday said the French president had expressed condolences to Palestinians killed in the conflict with Israel. But he also condemned the Hamas attacks and called on Abbas to “use all means of his influence to restore calm as soon as possible.”

Macron called for a “return to peace” and a “decisive resumption” of peace talks.

Also Thursday, several dozen people protested in eastern Paris to show support for the Palestinians.

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JERUSALEM – The Israeli army confirms that three rockets were fired from southern Lebanon towards northern Israel.

Reports say the rockets fell into the Mediterranean on Thursday night. No injury was reported.

Israeli media reported that the rockets were apparently fired by one of the Palestinian factions in Lebanon and that Hezbollah was not the beginning to get involved in the conflict.

No air bombs were detonated in northern Israel, which the military said was in line with “protocol.”

The development came when Hamas sent a powerful rocket deep into Israel on Thursday as Israel attacked Gaza with multiple air strikes and called in another 9,000 reservists.

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JERUSALEM – The Israeli leader of the opposition says that the country is facing an “existential threat” due to the ongoing violent riots between the Jewish and Arab mobs.

Yesh party leader Yair Lapid said on Thursday that if the ethnic fighting does not stop, the country will be in danger.

He vowed to build an alternative ruling coalition and end the 12-year rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu also condemned communal violence.

Lapid spoke amid airstrikes and rocket attacks from Gaza.

Earlier on Thursday, an Arab allegedly shot and severely wounded a Jew in the latest incident of ethnic fighting inside Israel.

In Jaffa, an Israeli soldier was attacked by a group of Arabs and hospitalized in serious condition. In the south of Tel Aviv, two Jews attacked a journalist who was reporting on a gathering of ultranationalists.

Police said police have arrested at least eight suspects in the northern city of Haifa who were involved in stone-throwing and other violent riots.

Lapid said in his televised address: “We are on the brink of an abyss.”

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ISLAMABAD – Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke by phone with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the deteriorating situation between Israel and the militant rulers of Hamas in Gaza.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that Khan reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the rights of the Palestinian people. The ministry said Khan strongly condemned the attacks on believers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, as well as the deadly Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.

The development came when Hamas sent a powerful rocket deep into Israel on Thursday as Israel attacked Gaza with multiple air strikes and called in another 9,000 reservists.

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UNITED NATIONS – China, Norway and Tunisia say the UN Security Council should quickly hold an open meeting on escalating violence between Israeli and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

The three states requested a council meeting on Friday.

The Security Council is silent on the issue, and China has said there will be no open meeting. Council diplomats said the United States had informed members it could not support the request amid ongoing diplomatic efforts. The United States said it would support an open meeting on Tuesday.

The Norwegian UN mission announced on Twitter that it was working to reach a consensus for a meeting of the Security Council as soon as possible. It demanded a ceasefire, adding: “Please do not allow innocent civilians to suffer.”